Guy Beauchamp wrote Larry, Free process modellers can be had at http://www.tibco.com/devnet/business_studio/default.jsp and http://www.tibco.com/devnet/business_studio/default.jsp A HUGE health warning though: if you have not had any formal training on Business Analysis then in all liklihood you will get in to an uncontrolled mess fast - just as I would if I tried to be a Project Manager! Developing process models in isoloation of the rest of the analytical elements you need to define means you have no way of justifying if each process and process step is necessary, what is in scope and what isn't, what would constitute an improvement, and so on. At the very least you need to consider specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and "to die for" (SMART) objectives so that you KNOW what a successful review of this area will achieve - and they need to be agreed by all those who can kill your project. There is a lot to go through and get your head around - I would suggest you engage with a BA if you can (or get trained yourself) and if you cannot do either of those raise the risk of project failure to your sponsors based on the issue of lack of trained resources - if you don't and the project does not deliver then quite rightly you may end being responsible because you didn't raise the issue of what you NEED to progress this. These comments are all with your best interests at heart and I hope they are useful. Guy

Comment 3

The MA mantra: The best tool are pen and paper (only beaten by a whiteboard.)  Powerpoint will be sufficient to doany modelling you need to do.  AT this stage stick with tools you know.  Get the consepts right before you start to muck arund with technical diagram details.

Hi Larry,

For a simple way to discover and document your client's processes why not try Process Master www.processmaster.com there is a free trial download and the purchasable version is not expensive - give it a go, it is a handy tool.

Nigel

lb1540j wrote Craig, I've been doing some reading and a functional decomposition is beginning to make sense because in the world of marketing the activities are not linked in stages.  Maintain customer list and participate in seminars are activities under higher level activities.  Are there guidelines for max. levels?   I have defined one  process under an activity for which I will created a flow diagram. thanks for the help. Larry

Hi Larry,

There are no set guidelines for the level of decomposition.  It is up to the business analyst to use common sense and make that decision based on the complexity and size of the model.

- Adrian